[ScooterInTheSticks]

Blog : Scooter in the Sticks
Author : Steve Williams



First let me apologize for the fuzziness of this self-portrait. I think the excitement of the moment may have gotten to me as I sat the camera on the trunk of the car rather than use a tripod.

Yes, it's a new Ducati Superbike 1098. Six-speed, 1099cc, 160 horsepower, 381-pound example of engineering excellence not to speak of my favorite yellow color. There is not a bit of chrome on this motorcycle and everything is machined and manufactured to the highest standards right down to the exotic rear axle. No matter what your personal riding preference is it is hard to not be impressed by the machine. But more of the new Ducati in a moment.

Rewind to earlier in the day.

Since my first days of Vespa ownership I have fielded a lot of questions about safety and specifically a lot about the relative safety of a vehicle that many assume to be underpowered for any travel on the road. They have an idea that unless you have a lot of horsepower you just won't be able to get out of all those dangerous situations you come across while on the highway.

Seeing beasts like this John Deere whatever the hell it is (I think it is a spray vehicle but not sure what the exact application is) is the sort of thing that gets lodged in a driver's subconscious and drawn forth when making the motorcycle safety and power arguments. I was standing in a cornfield when this little fellow went by and it seemed more Triceratops than Tyrannosaurus Rex. Just a big ambling brute interested in nothing more than plants.

But lets get back to the new Ducati. If any of you regular readers think I abandoned the Vespa GTS 250ie shame on you. You should know me better than that by now. This baby was less than one hour new and belongs to my friend Paul Ruby who just traded his Harley Davidson Fatboy for it.

Paul has being weighing this move for a while. Looking at it I can tell than he is enthralled by the pure mechanical excellence. Paul loves machines. And he tells me now that he has one of every Italian vehicle --- a Ferrari, a vintage Vespa, and now a Ducati. Car, scooter, motorcycle. I asked about a Fiat truck and didn't bring up airplanes or boats. Either way it is an impressive mechanical collection.

I want to ride. A lot. And I question the utility of the Ducati with the most uncomfortable seat I have ever had the pleasure of sitting on and a riding position that reminds me more of the prostate examination position and discomfort than anything to do with a motorcycle. But that's just me. And the Ducati is still, despite that, a work of art.

He plans to make long rides on this thing. No topcase or sidebags available for this. At least not that I can imagine. There is storage space behind the rear seat. It's large enough for the screwdriver Ducati provides as a toolkit and you could fit a toothbrush and small box of raisins too.

This weekend perhaps Paul and I will ride around together. Two guys on some of Italy's finest examples of engineering.

Congratulations Paul on your new Ducati!



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